PHANTOM OF THE RAILWAY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10490, 15 October 1926, Page 6

PHANTOM OF THE RAILWAY

TRAIN WRECKERS SEEN IN ACTION.

“FIELD’S” NARROW ESCAPE AT AWAPUNI.

TWO MEN ESCAPE ON BICYCLES,

Since the tliree attempts to wreck the “Limited;’ in March and April last, nothing further has been beard of the “Phantom of the Line’ and public confidence of the railways bad been quite restored, but it is evident the ghost has not yet been hud. But for the fortunate intervention of a settler on Foxton line on Saturday evening, when he interrupted a miscreant tampering with the lrtus at the Awapuni siding,-“Field’s ’ express, in all probability, would have been involved in a serious smash. A special race train from Otaki arrived at Palmerston North shortly after seven o’clock, its last stop having been at Awapuni. There were no signs of anything untoward. Twenty minutes later, Air. J. G. A. Wilson, of Foxton line, had occasion to go to the crossing, when his attention was attracted by a hammering the clang of. iron on the railway line. He looked along the rails and saw a young man busy on the line with some instrument and another, on the roadway, holding two bicycles. The -two saw the new-comer, however, and immediately dashed off on their machines in the direction of Longburn. . Air. Wilson, unable to give chase, warned the railway authorities at Palmerston. North from his home and the signals were set against all trains at Longburn, while the maintenance gang at tlie latter station made an in-

spection. , , The 0.1.8. was also notified and Senior-Detective Quirke and Detective Barling prosecuted inquiries. An examination of the line revealed that there had been an intelligent attempt to damage the interlocking system at that point. Some of the pins that are attached to the fishplates, which secure the rails to the sleepers had been bent and partly drawn, though not sufficiently to make the rail unsale, it was apparently the purpose of- the two, and it must be assumed from all the circumstances that more* than incfO ,;;ischier loosen or remove d rail or rails, so that a. train would meet with a serious mishap. It is nossible that the wreckers jmcj begun their work prior to the arrival of the race special, and that that train was the object of their attentions, but that they fpuiul the task too great or their tools ineffectual. Un the other hand, it is not likely that they would commence operations before 6.30 p.m., when darkness descended, so that it is reasonable to suppose that they had not been many minutes at their nefarious task when tbev were so providentially interrupted. ■